Locomotive surface condenser



Jan. 19 1925.

MR coNDENATE 0011 CT A. T. KASVLEY Filed Dec. 31. 1920 IV FAN MOTOR TEA LOCOMOTIVE SURFACE CONDEQSER 'A.T. Ka sley INVENIOR 'An object of my Patented Jan. 19, 1926,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER '1. KASLEY, OF ESSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA,. A SSIGNOB '10 WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND .MANUFACTURING'COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVAIIIA.

LOCOMOTIVE SURFACE CONDENSER.

Application filed December 31, 1920. Serial No. 434,864.

densers adapted to be employed with railway locomotives. invention is to provide a surface condenser for use with railway locomotives in which the cooling water is maintained at a suitably low temperature for effecting the condensation of exhaust steam by causing the evaporation of a portion of the cooling Water.

A further object of my invention is to provide a surface condenser for use with railway locomotives in which a minimum amount of cooling water is required to be carried.

A still further object of my invention scription of my invention, are attained by.

means of .the apparatus embodying features hereinrdescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which? Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken through a railway car provided with a surface condenser'constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional viewvtaken through two of the condenser tubes indioatedin Fig. 1.

It has heretofore been proposed to utilize at least a portion of the energy generated in locomotive boilers in prime movers of the turbine type for the'purpose of operating electric generators, the electric current thus generated being supplied to individual electric motors which are operatively'as'sociated with the axles of the non-driving wheels of the locomotive and tender. Some locomotive constructions of this character are equipped to use the high pressure boiler steam in the usual reciprocating, locomotive engines. the power from which is transmitted to he driving wheels, and to conduct all or part of the exhaust from the main engines to one or more-turbines, the power from which is-electrically transmitted to the non-driving Wheelsin a manner indicated above.

. It is a matter of common knowledge that the efficiency of turbines is greatly increased by expanding the steam therein to low absolute pressures, and that satisfactory operation of turbines utilizingexhaust steam requires the employment of low off-take pressures. It follows that to obtain satisfactory conditions of turbine operation in locomotive power plants necessitates the provision of -eiiicient condensers in order to maintain the discharge portions of the turbines.

In many localities, the water available for locomotive operation is not suitable for boiler feed water on account of its destructive effects upon the boiler surfaces. Under these conditions, a material saving in operating expense and in continuity of service which can be rendered by the locomotive results from the employment of a surface condenser in connection therewith, since this arrangement permits the condensate which is freefrom deleterious impurities to be used as boiler feed and any raw water which may be available, as cooling water for the con denser.

Condensers of the character commonly used in power-plants are unsuited for loc0-' motive practice since the weight and bulk of the cooling water and the subsidiary apparatus, such as cooling towers, etc, required to maintain the coolipg water at a sufficiently low temperature, prohibit their use in a railway power plant.

My improved condenser secures the advantages and overcomes the obstacles related above. It provides aneflicient condenser in which the weight of, the cooling water is not too great to be carried either in a separate car or on the locomotive structure. I Moreover the necessity of providing cooling towers, or other bulky re -cooling apparatus is obviated. My condenser is constructed in a compact self-contained unit which performs the functions of the more massive constructions now commonly in use in steam power plants.

In brief, 1 provide a condenser composed of a plurality of upstanding Field tubes which are immersed in a pool of cooling water contained within an open tank. The exhaust steam from the prime mover is caused to traverse the Field tubes and is condensed therein, the latent heat of the steam being absorbed by the cooling water surrounding the upstanding tubes. The cooling water is maintained at a suitably low temperature for effecting this condensation by causing a rapid evaporation of a portion of the cooling water. This is accomplished by exposing large surfaces of water to currents of air which are caused to circulate through the open tank. The pool of coo-ling water is in this manner maintained at a suitably low temperature.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed understanding of my invention, l indicate a car platform at 8 mounted upon the usual railway trucks 9 and upon which my improved surface condenser 10 is positioned. The car platform 8 may constitute an integral part of a locomotive or it may be a separate unit constructed in a manner to permit it to be operatively connected to a locomotive. The condenser 10 consists of a tank 11 with a plurality of brass tubes 12 expanded into the bottom thereof which constitutes a tube sheet 13. The tubes are closed at the top by means of caps 14 which may be soldered thereto. A second tube sheet 15 is disposed below the tube sheet 13 into which are expanded steel guide tubes 16 which extend into the, brass tubes 12 and which are brazed at the tops to the caps 14. The two tube sheets 13 and 15 are strengthened by means of struts 17 which serve to prevent collapse of the tube sheets due to the vacuum existing in condensate chamber 18 of which the sheets 13 and 15 form the upper and lower walls.

Holes 19 are provided in the tops of the steel guidetubes 16 to permit the passage of fluid from the inside of these tubes to the annular spaces 20 between the steel guide tubes 16 and the brass tubes 12.

Exhaust fluid from the prime mover is delivered through a conduit 21 to the distributingchamber 22 located below the tube sheet 15. The exhaust fluid then enters the to this space to remove the air and other non-condensible flu1ds 1n a manner common in condenser practice.

The tubes 12, on which the steam con-' denses, are cooled by means of a condensing fluid, preferably water, which partially fills the tank 11 and covers the tubes 12. The cooling fluid is not circulated through the tank 11 as is customary in surface condensers, but is cooled by means of a series of galvanized iron discs 23 which are mounted on shafts 24 and which project downwardly into the tank between successive rows of tubes, as shown.

At the top of the tank 11 is located an induced draft fan 25 driven by a motor 26 which is adapted to draw air in through the inlets 27, located in the side of the tank 11 and arranged to direct the flow of incoming air to contact with the discs and then to discharge it through outlets 28 located in the cover or roof 29 of the tank 11.

This construction further differs from the usual type of condenser, in that, as the tank 11 is open to the atmosphere, any ice that may form on the outside of the tubes 12 is pushed up due to expansion of water beneath without meeting any obstruction. The shafts are also supported so that they can rise freely, the bearings being preferably held down by springs 30.

If found necessary, battles 31 should be placed in the tank so as to prevent too much splashing of the cooling water due to its mertia.

Having described the arrangement of an embodiment of my novel condensing apparatus, the operation thereof is as follows: Exhaust steam from a prime mover is delivered by the conduit 21 to the distributing chamber 22 whence it enters the central upstanding tubes 16 and passes through the perforations in the upper portions thereof into the annular spaces 20. In passing downwardly through the annular spaces 20 the steam is condensed and falls into the chamber 18, from whence it is removed by the usual condensate pump.

The heat of condensation is absorbed by the cooling water surrounding the tubes 12, and is removed therefrom by evaporation of a portion of the cooling water in the following manner: Discs 23 are" arranged to be slowly rotated within the tank 11 so that the lower halves are immersed within the pool of cooling water. When the discs 23 are rotated, films of cooling water from the tank 11 are conveyed up out of the tank upon the surface of the discs. The fan 25 draws a constant stream of air through the tank 11. The air enters through the openings 27 and the sides of the tank 11 and is directed into that portion of the tank in l which the rotating discs are located. The

circulation of currents of .air from the inletsv 27 past the discs causes the films ofcool ing water thereon to be evaporated, the evaporation chilling the disc and any unevaporated water adhering thereto. The chil ed portions of the discs upon rotation are immersed in and serve to lower the temperature of the pool-of cooling water with the result that a uniform and satisfactory low temperature of the cooling water is maintained.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. a

What I claim is:

1. The combination in a surface condenser having a plurality of tubes arranged in rows and adapted to receive a fluid to be'condensed, of a chamber for containing a pool of cooling water in-which said tubes are im- 'rnersed and a plurality of rotatable discs extending between the adjacent rows of tubes, their lower portions being immersed in the pool of water.

2. The'combination in a surface condenser having a plurality of tubes arranged in rows and adapted to receive a fluid-to be con-.

densed, of a chamber for containing a. pool of cooling water. in which 'saidtubes are immersed,. a plurality of discs extending between the adjacent rows of tubes, their lower portionsbein immersed in the pool of water, the discs eing adapted upon rotation to expose films of the cooling water upon their upper portions, whereby evaporation and cooling of the water is facilitated.

3. The combination in a surface condenser having a plurality of tubes arranged in rows and adapted to receive'a fluid to .be con- 1 densed, of a chamber for containing a pool of cooling water in which said tubes are immersed,,a plurality of discs extending between the adjacent rows of tubes, their lower portions being immersed in the pool of water, the discs being adapted upon ro-- tation to'expose films of the cooling water upon their upper portions, and means for the caps at,the ends thereof, a plura ity of rotating discs disposed between the con-- denser tubes so as to conduct the cooling liquid on the surfaces thereof above the level of the liquid and blower means to cause a circulation of air past the discs to cause the cdoling liquid to be evaporated from the surface thereof, whereby the discs are cooled which in turn cool the cooling liquid in the tank.

o. Condensing apparatus for a locomotive comprising a tank containingcoo1ing liquid, a plurality of condenser tubes expanded into the bottom thereof, caps adapt ed to close the ends of said tubes, a tube sheet disposed beneath the bottom of the said tank and defining a vacuum chamber therewith, a plurality of guide tubes having holes near the ends thereof expanded into said tube sheet and extending within the condenser tubes and ten agin the caps at the ends thereof, a plluraht o rotating discs disposed between t e con en'ser tubes so as to conduct the cooling liquid on the surfaces thereof above the level of the liquid, air inlets disposed at the sides of the tank, air outlets disposed at the top ,thereof, and a blower disposed adjacent the top of the tank adapted to cause a circulation of air in through said inlets past the discs and out of said outlets to cause the cooling liquid to be evaporated from the surface of the discs, whereby the discs are cooled which in turn cool the cooling ligluid in the tank.

In testimony w ereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of December, 1920.

" ALEXANDER 'r. KASLEY. 

